One Eye Open
by Strawberry Nightmare
Summary: It's been a year since Nick Stokes was stalked by Nigel Crane. Nick still suffers from nightmares and is constantly looking over his shoulder. Now, his younger sister Donna is coming to visit. But the siblings are about to find out that they have more in common than they think.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** One Eye Open

**Spoiler:** CSI up to season 3

**Summary:** It's been a year since Nick had a stalker. Nick's scary brush with death comes back in a terrifying manner when he finds out that his stalker has kidnapped his sister. Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab race against the clock to find Nick's sister before it's too late.

**Disclaimer:** I only own what you do not recognize. CSI Belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and all of those smart people who created these fine CSI series.

**My Note: **This story is not connected to my Amelia Stokes series. This was a request from a reader and I'm happy to fulfill it! In this story, we're going to pretend that Nick is not the youngest in his family, but rather the second youngest.

**Chapter 1: Remember**

A long year had passed. A year of looking over his shoulder. A year of looking up and wondering if anyone was in his attic.

This year had been a long one.

It had been a year he was likely never to forget. It all started with that one guy.

Nigel Crane.

He had his trial and they put him away. 25-life they said.

"It's over," they said.

They had no idea. None of them knew what it was like. None of them knew what he was feeling.

It wasn't over. It would never be over.

Nigel might have been put behind bars, but that didn't stop the nightmares. That didn't stop Nick's obsession with checking for holes and cameras. It didn't stop the shiver that would run up his spine when it felt like someone was watching him.

He still remembered the horror when he found out that Nigel had watched him sleep and had stolen his clothes.

That kind of feeling doesn't go away quickly.

As the year anniversary of his near-death experience came up quickly, he had a happy distraction. His younger sister Donna was coming to Las Vegas to visit. Only 15 months younger than Nick, he and Donna had been close as kids. Hell, they were still close even as adults. She was a teacher back in Texas and wasn't often able to get away to visit him. Still, when she able to visit, it was nice.

Nick hadn't actually told his family about the stalker. He hadn't wanted to upset or worry them. He hoped he would be able to keep it from Donna, but she could always tell when something was bothering him. She knew him very well.

Nick checked his watch for what was probably the 30th time in the last hour. Donna was flying in from Killeen, Texas, where she lived. Usually she drove up, but for some reason she had chosen to fly this time. Her flight was supposed to have landed half an hour ago, but he still hadn't gotten a call from her.

"Hey man, are you late for something?" Warrick asked, coming up in front of Nick.

Nick chuckled and shook his head. "Nah. My sister is coming to visit and her flight was supposed to get in about 30 minutes ago. Just waiting for her call."

"Oh Donna? Doesn't she usually drive?" Warrick asked. "Weird for her to fly."

"No kidding. Donna hates flying. I guess she just didn't want the two day drive. Anyways, we should get back to the case before Grissom or Catherine catch us off topic," Nick said, smiling.

Even as he worked, he kept his sister in the back of his mind. Hopefully nothing had gone wrong, but Nick couldn't help but worry. With the various things he had been through and seen in his years as a CSI, he had developed a bad habit of immediately suspecting the worst.

"Hey Nicky," Catherine said as she walked up behind him in the conference room.

Nick turned and acknowledged her, "hey Cath, what's up? I was just finishing up my report on the Gonzalez case."

Catherine smiled with a wicked gleam in her eye. Nick could tell she had something juicy to say. "Well thank you for that, but I'm here to tell you that a particularly attractive woman is at the front desk asking for you. What did she say her name was?" Catherine pretended to think. "Oh yes, Donna!"

Nick gave her a sharp look, but smiled. "Do you mind if she comes back?" he asked.

"Of course Donna can. I think we all can vouch for her. Just be sure to finish your report before you head home!" Catherine told him.

Nick nodded and headed past her quickly. He couldn't wait to see his sister.

Donna Stokes hated flying. Being so high up with no control was terrifying for her. As much as she hated driving from East Texas to West Texas and beyond, she much preferred that over flying.

Her decision to fly to Las Vegas this time instead of drive was a tough one. But she had been dealing with some issues that left her scared and unconfident in driving across multiple state lines alone. In this one instance, she would much rather deal with the fear of flying than spend the entire drive from Texas to Nevada scared out of her mind.

But she made it, though her flight ended up being late. Still, she arrived at McCarran Airport, got her bags, and grabbed a cap to take her to the Crime Lab where Nick worked.

She had been here several times in the years Nicky had worked in Las Vegas. She found everyone her brother worked with to be so interesting. Her personal favorite was Grissom, though he often came across as unapproachable, but Nick had assured her that it was just Grissom's way. It didn't bother Donna at all. A fellow teacher at her school had a form of Autism and could be short with people, though not intentionally. Once you got to know her, Donna found she was actually a very sweet and kind woman.

They were perfect examples of not judging a book by their cover. You could never know a person until you actually talked to them.

Donna had just entered the lobby of the crime lab when she spotted Catherine Willows. The older woman smiled brightly at Donna and walked over.

"You're Nick's sister, right?" Catherine asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm Donna. The youngest," Donna replied. She held out her hand and Catherine took it, shaking it gently.

"I thought Nicky was the youngest?" Catherine asked.

"Only for about fifteen months and then there I was. For a long time our family considered us one entity because we were so similar. Didn't last long though," Donna said with a smile.

"I'll let Nick know you're here, if you'd like," Catherine offered.

Donna smiled and nodded. "Thank you. That would be great." She waited while Catherine went to find Nick. Donna took a seat and thought back to the past month.

As soon as she and Nick had settled on a date for her to visit, things got weird in Texas. Donna started receiving weird phone calls and she always felt like someone was watching her. It was the oddest feeling and it unnerved her. She had hoped that coming to Las Vegas for help her paranoia.

The flight hadn't helped, but now that she was surrounded by cops and crime specialists, she was starting to feel less agitated.

"Donna!" Nick called out to her.

Donna stood up and rushed to her brother, hugging him tightly. "Hello big brother!"

They pulled away, both smiling from ear to ear. "You should have called me from the airport, I would have picked you up," Nick said.

Donna shrugged. "Taking a cab is not a big deal. Besides Nick, you're working. I can take a cab to your apartment. No worries," she told him, smiling.

"No way, I'm almost done with my reports and then we can go home. Gris said you can stay in the lounge while I finish up. Come on," he said.

Donna nodded. "Ok fine. I won't get in the way," she promised.

Nick chuckled, picked up her bags, and led the way back into the lab. Donna gazed around as they walked, taking in the lab around her. People were engrossed in their work, typing and testing and writing. It was so interesting to Donna, though she had no gift for science at all.

She taught high school history. She loved history, though it was full of white people fucking over everyone else. Still, she loved learning about how cultures came around and how countries were built.

"Here you go," Nick said as they walked into the lounge. "Just get comfortable and I'll finish up my work as quick as I can."

Donna sat on the couch and nodded. "Take your time. Don't rush," she warned him.

Nick smirked and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah."

Nick left his sister alone. Donna pulled her copy of _Game of Thrones_ out of her purse and began to read. She sat there for a while before a knock on the door frame jarred her from her reading. Donna was startled and jumped up from the couch, dropping her book in the process.

She clutched at her chest, but sighed in relief when she saw Gil Grissom standing in the door way. She smiled. "Hello Dr. Grissom," Donna greeted him. He smiled warmly at her.

"Hello Ms. Stokes, welcome back to Vegas. How long are you staying?" he asked.

"Just a week. I don't want to bother Nick too much," she replied.

"Somehow, I don't think it would be a bother to your brother," Grissom said with a small smile. He watched for a moment and then looked away. "I didn't mean to startle you, by the way."

Donna shook her head. "No, it's not you. I've just been jumpy lately. It'll pass." Donna swallowed nervously. "It'll pass," she repeated quieter.

Grissom watched her carefully, but smiled and nodded. "You're quite welcome here, Donna. Family is family."

"Thank you, Dr. Grissom."

"Please, just call me Gil."

"Gil it is then, if you'll call me Donna," she told him.

Grissom nodded in response. "Nick should be done soon," he said before leaving.

Donna sat back down and sighed, picking up her book from the floor. She really needed to calm down.

A few minutes later, Nick came to get her. They headed back to his apartment where Nick gave her his bedroom, as he always did. She always told him she was fine with the couch, but he never listened.

"You moved?" Donna asked as she realized this was not the same apartment from her last visit. Nick didn't respond. Donna turned and saw him staring up at the ceiling, fear in his eyes. "Nicky?"

Nick looked at her, his eyes wide. He cleared his throat. "Oh, uh. I just, you know, wanted a new place."

Donna watched her brother sadly. It seemed she wasn't the only one dealing with paranoia, but, Donna reasoned, Nick worked for law enforcement and dealt with death every day. That couldn't be easy.

Seeing Nick's reaction, Donna began to hope that not only would this week help her, but also Nick. Maybe they could heal together.

First, she would have to find out what he was healing from.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** One Eye Open

**Spoiler:** CSI up to season 3

**Summary:** It's been a year since Nick had a stalker. Nick's scary brush with death comes back in a terrifying manner when he finds out that his stalker has kidnapped his sister. Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab race against the clock to find Nick's sister before it's too late.

**Disclaimer:** I only own what you do not recognize. CSI Belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and all of those smart people who created these fine CSI series.

**My Note: **I'm trying to get better about updating in a quicker manner, but between this story and Lips of Pink, plus my original writing, life itself, and my royalty blog, I've been really busy. But nevertheless, here is chapter 2!

**Chapter 2: Tonight**

Donna's first day in Las Vegas went well. She and Nick spent some time together and were able to do some talking, though he didn't say much about work other than it was 'good'. Then he was called back to work. Once they had settled into their pizza that night, Nick calmed down and became the brother she remembered, not this guy that looked over his shoulder. Donna wondered about what he was dealing with at work that would have him so worried.

She couldn't think of a time when she had seen him like this. Donna assumed he dealt with some pretty terrible things at work, but she couldn't remember him ever looking over his shoulder so much before. Her problems just didn't seem as important.

So some guy had called her a few times? Wrong numbers happened. For years she had kept getting calls and mail for the people who lived in her apartment before her. No matter how many times she told people that the couple didn't live there anymore, they didn't listen.

Nick saw death every day. What right did she have to complain? Donna just didn't want to put her problems on his shoulders. He had enough to deal with.

Donna didn't sleep well the first night. She was worried about Nick and she was in a new place. She never slept well in new places. Most of the night, she tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. When she woke in the morning, Nick was still at work.

She was used to this when she visited. He was never able to get much time off work and she didn't like to ask him to take days off. She was fine with him working while she visited. She did her thing while he worked and when he had time, they hung out.

Donna was the youngest of seven kids born to Bill and Jillian Stokes. The identical twins Cherie and Danielle were the oldest, being 12 years older than Donna. Next was Tabatha, born two years after the twins, Jeff came two years after that, and Cathy came a year after him. Nick came six years after Cathy, as a surprise. Donna followed 15 months after him.

Nick always looked out for Donna, like a typical big brother. But he never seemed to be annoyed by her presence. He was always including her in things and she loved him for it. They had always been close friends.

Their interests had always been similar. They grew up in a Judge's home. The sense of law and justice was always around. While Nick gravitated towards being an investigator, Donna preferred to be a teacher. She loved the law, but she also loved history. Out of the seven kids, only Donna wasn't involved with the law in some way. They were crime scene investigators, lawyers, judges, and law professors. Except for Donna.

She liked being the odd one out.

It made family gatherings interesting.

While Nick worked, Donna did some shopping. Las Vegas had some great stores that she didn't have in Killeen. Killeen was a small area in Texas. It sat next door to an Army base, Fort Hood, so most of the people in the area were military. Things had been tense there ever since 9/11. Donna loved the area, but sometimes she wished for more. She had been teaching at the high school just off base when 9/11 happened. It changed everything in that area. And the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had made things worse. But what did she have to complain about? None of her family was risking their lives in war.

They were just on the streets trying to get justice.

Donna returned back to Nick's apartment after her morning of shopping. She found him asleep on the couch. She smiled and covered her older brother with a blanket.

She took her bags back to Nick's room and shut the door behind her. After putting her new clothes away in her suitcase, she pulled out a book and began to read. Despite her deep love of history, she was instead reading a crime book. _The Less You Know_ by Jenny Ashley. It was a good quick read that Donna had read three times already. It was the suspense that drew Donna in.

A sound outside the window caught her attention. Donna put her book down and sat up, her eyes watching the window intently. Nick's new apartment was on the third floor of the building. There wasn't even a tree next to the window. Just air.

Donna took a deep breath and stood up from the bed. She walked over to the window slowly, taking deep breaths as she tried to steady her nerves.

"There's nothing there, Donna. It's just air," she whispered to herself. Once at the window, she pulled the curtain back and pulled up the blinds. She let out her breath at the sight. There was nothing outside. She had nothing to worry about.

She shook her head and turned around. She considered going back to reading, but her nerves were still wrecked.

So she left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to make her lunch. She moved about the kitchen quietly, looking for the things she needed. She sat at the table in the kitchen, eating her lunch and trying to think of something other than the sounds outside of the apartment.

_Get a hold of yourself,_ she thought. _If you're not safe with Nick, where will you be safe?_

As Donna was finishing her lunch, Nick woke up.

"Hey, how was your morning?" he asked as he pulled a water out of the fridge.

"Good, I got some shopping done," she answered.

Nick laughed and sat at the table across from her. "As if you don't have stores in Texas," he teased.

Donna chuckled and shook her head. "It's not the same bro. You don't get it."

"Nah, I don't. So, I've got to work tonight, but then I'm off tomorrow. We'll be able to hang out, I'll take you to some of my favorite places, it'll be great," he said.

"You mean the same favorite places you take me every time I come to Vegas?"

Nick frowned. "Hey now, those are great places."

Donna stood up, laughing. She ruffled Nick's hair and headed to the sink to wash her plate. "I'm joking bro. Those places will be fine. Don't worry about me, I can entertain myself. I've got lesson plans to do anyways."

They spent a few hours talking at the table, mostly about Donna's classes. She taught European History and took pride in being able to teach more than just World War I and II. She tried to be a good teacher in an area that people needed to know. History was important.

After dinner ended, Nick took off to return to work. Donna sat on the couch and flipped through the channels. He had so many, but he seemed to hardly be there to watch them.

She chose a movie and settled in for the night. As the movie was ending, she heard the noise again. Donna sat up and looked around. Suddenly the apartment was dark and foreboding with sounds coming from every corner.

"Get a fucking grip," she scolded herself.

Donna turned off the tv and folded the blanket. She turned off the living room light and headed to the bedroom. Her heart beat sped up as she made her way down the long hallway. The dark hallway seemed to grow longer as she gazed down it. Every sound was magnified in the dark. Or at least her brain thought so.

_It's just your imagination,_ she thought.

Donna swallowed hard and shook her head. Get a grip, indeed. She headed into the bedroom, shut the door behind her, and locked it. Noticing that the blinds were still up on the window, she walked across the room to the window. As she neared, she realized with a terrible start that the window was open.

Her mouth went dry.

And then the world went black.

Sleeping in the living room hadn't been easy for Nick. He woke up every so often, swearing that he had heard something.

While Donna was visiting, he was trying his hardest to keep the focus on her. He was afraid if he began to talk about work, he might spill the beans about Nigel. Nick didn't want to face those feelings again.

He looked over his shoulders and he feared, but he said nothing.

"So, how is your sister?" Grissom asked him.

Nick glanced up from his work. "Donna's good. She seems to be a bit anxious, but she always gets this way before a school year. She won't say why she flew up though. It's weird."

Grissom leaned against the door, a pensive look on his face. "You're an investigator, what does your gut tell you?"

Nick leaned on his forearms, looking down at the pictures in front of him. He looked back up at Grissom after a moment. "She's on edge about something. Maybe a student harassing her or another teacher. She lives by a military base, so maybe something there is getting to her. I don't know Gris. It could be one of a million things."

Grissom nodded and stood up. "Why don't you just ask her, Nicky?"

Nick smiled and shook his head. "Good question, Gris. Maybe I will."

Grissom left Nick to his work and his thoughts. Now Nick couldn't stop thinking about it. What was bothering Donna?

Nick shook his head and tired to focus on his work. He would talk to Donna later.

After an hour, Nick pulled himself away from the work, stretching. He needed a quick walk and a cup of coffee.

He left the room and began heading towards the lounge. Once inside, he found Sara pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Ah, you read my mind," he said.

Sara smiled and moved out of the way to let him pour himself a cup of coffee. "You getting anywhere?" she asked

Nick shook his head and leaned against the counter, sipping his drink. "You?"

"I've hit a wall. There's nothing there."

Nick grimaced. This case was killing him. He closed his eyes and rolled his neck, hearing the pops. He was just so tired.

Nick opened his eyes just as Grissom walked into the room.

"Nick, come with me," he ordered. His tone was serious.

Nick put his cup of coffee down and hurried after Grissom. They headed to Grissom's office where Det. Vega was waiting. Grissom shut the door behind Nick after they entered.

"What's going on?" Nick asked. "Is it the Thompson case?" His eyes darted between the two men in front of him.

"It's Donna, Nicky," Grissom started.

Nick felt his heart drop to his stomach and his mouth went dry. "No. Oh God." Nick fell into a chair, his head dropping into his hands.

"Nicky listen." Grissom pushed on Nick's shoulders to get the younger man to look at him.

The tears had already begun to spill from his eyes. "Gris, tell me she isn't dead," he begged.

"We don't know. All we know is she's missing from your apartment. A neighbor found your door open and Donna gone, but all of her stuff is still there, including her cell phone."

Nick let out a choked sob. "Somebody took her?"

"It looks like she's been kidnapped, Nick."


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** One Eye Open

**Spoiler:** CSI up to season 3

**Summary:** It's been a year since Nick had a stalker. Nick's scary brush with death comes back in a terrifying manner when he finds out that his stalker has kidnapped his sister. Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab race against the clock to find Nick's sister before it's too late.

**Disclaimer:** I only own what you do not recognize. CSI Belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and all of those smart people who created these fine CSI series.

**My Note: **It's here! Sorry this took so long, but I've already started chapter 4, so it hopefully will only be maybe a week before I get that updated. Enjoy! And as always, if you enjoy Vampire/Werewolf novels, check out my novel Farther Side of Away. You can find info on where to find it on my profile. Thank you!

**Chapter 3: Awake**

When Donna woke up, she was in Dallas, Texas. She was standing in the park where she and Nick used to go to as kids. Donna loved swinging on the swing set. She and Nick would swing as high as they could and then jump off to see who would go the farthest. Often times, it ended with them getting scratches or bruises.

Donna was standing in the middle of the park, watching a 10-year-old Nick and a 9-year-old Donna swinging on the old swing set. As a kid, Nick had an awkward looking bowl cut. Donna, likewise, had a short haircut. She had poufy brown hair that didn't really work well at chin length, as she had it. But she hadn't cared at that point.

The older Donna watched her younger self swing with Nick. They were building height. When they had gotten as high as they could, Nick said what he always said, "be brave, Donna!"

Older Donna mouthed along with her younger self her reply, "I'm always brave!" The younger Donna turned to her older self and smiled. "You have to be brave, Donna."

Cold water washed over Donna's face, jarring her from her dream. She gasped as she woke up, her eyes attempting to adjust to the dark. She couldn't see more than few feet in front of her.

As she woke up, the pain in her head intensified. She groaned and tried to move her hand up to rub her head, but found her hands were bound behind her back. Donna struggled against the tape on her wrists, but all she succeeded in doing was rubbing her wrists.

Now her head and her wrists hurt.

Donna sighed and dropped her head. How did this happen? Was this the same person who was bothering her in Texas? Why her?

Tears stung her eyes as she realized just how terrible the situation was. Nick was at work and wouldn't be home for hours. Donna knew enough to know that when a person went missing, the first 24 hours were extremely important. Nick needed to find out as soon as possible that Donna was missing.

Donna had no doubt that if there was any evidence, Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab would find her. She knew they were good at their job. They just needed to find out she was gone first.

_Nobody knows I'm gone,_ Donna thought as the fear coursed through her veins. _No one is even looking for me!_

She sobbed into her chest, the sound bouncing around the dark room.

_Get a hold of yourself!_ She yelled at herself. _You've got to keep it together if you're going to stand a chance of getting out of here. You have to last long enough for Nick to find you and he will find you!_

Donna took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself. Still, she couldn't shake the fear.

The silence around her was deafening and terrifying. She had no idea where this person was or who it was. She had no idea what he was planning.

Donna kept taking deep breaths in an attempt to steady her nerves and to keep her from crying more. She needed to think straight.

As she sat still, she felt a burning pain in her fingernails. It was odd. She couldn't remember grabbing anything with her fingers. She hoped her kidnapper hadn't taken her fingernails off, but she figured that would hurt more if he had. She needed to see to figure out her next move.

She had to be brave. Nick would save her.

He had to.

Nick wouldn't be kept in the lab. The Hulk couldn't keep him there. So Grissom gave in and drove with Nick to Nick's apartment. Nick was a ball of nerves. His feet were moving and his fingers were tapping. He talked a mile a minute.

Grissom remained mostly quiet. He knew there was very little that he could say that would assuage Nick's fears. Donna was missing and there was no telling who had her or what they were doing to her.

"If this is because of me, Gris," Nick choked out. "If someone took her because of something I've done, I'll never forgive myself."

"Nicky, you can't blame yourself. Especially when we don't know the situation. If we're going to find Donna, we all have to be calm and clearheaded."

Grissom saw Nick nod out of the corner of his eyes.

Finally, they arrived at Nick's apartment complex. Grissom had barely parked the car before Nick had thrown open the door and headed towards the building.

Grissom sighed, parked the car and got out. He knew Nick wouldn't listen very well and although he couldn't blame him, Grissom knew he needed to get Nick to understand that he had to calm down.

Grissom grabbed his kit and headed towards the building. Nick's new apartment, the one he moved into after Nigel Crane stalked him, was on the third floor. It was a much better apartment complex, with plenty of gates and codes to get in. Grissom imagined that Nick was probably feeling much safer.

Until now.

When Grissom reached the third floor, he found Nick sitting on the floor opposite the door to his apartment, his back against the wall with his head in his hands. Warrick was standing to his left, a hand gripping Nick's shoulder.

Grissom nodded at Warrick as he passed and entered Nick's apartment. The door had not been forced open from the outside, Grissom noticed. So how did they get in? Did Donna let the kidnapper in, thinking it was a friend? Did they have a key?

In the living room, Catherine was searching for evidence. She looked up when Grissom entered the room.

"There doesn't seem to have been a struggle," she commented.

Grissom said nothing as he put his case down. He combed over the room with his eyes, looking for any sign of disturbance. He saw nothing.

"Let's see if there's a chance of getting shoeprints from the carpet," he said, looking down at his feet.

"It's a long shot, but it's worth a try."

Grissom moved down the hallway to the bedroom. Standing in the doorway, he could see where Donna had fought back. His eyes ran up and down the doorframe. Her fingers seemed to have grabbed at the doorframe, leaving blood and deep scratches behind. Grissom looked into the bedroom where Sara was photographing evidence.

She was standing in front of the open window.

"I don't get it," she said as she took a picture of the corner of the window. "They're on the third floor. There's no tree near the window. How did he get in?"

"A ladder, maybe," Grissom said from behind her.

Sara turned around. "If he used one, he took it with him or moved it. I'm not seeing any evidence of someone climbing through the window."

Grissom's eyebrows rose up. "A distraction then. He wanted her to think he came through the window, but really, he got in somewhere else."

Sara lowered her camera and frowned. "First Nick gets stalked, now this? It can't be a coincidence, Grissom. It's been a year, almost to the day."

Grissom sighed. "I know. Nick finally stopped looking over his shoulder and now this."

"He'll never forgive himself if she dies."

"Neither will I."

Donna had dozed off again. When she woke up, the pain returned to her head, wrists, and fingers. She was also hungry. She could feel the tiny pang growing in her stomach, alerting her that it had been many hours since she last ate.

It was still very dark, wherever she was. She didn't hear much but the sound of her own breathing. Her heart thudded in her chest and her panic rose as the darkness caved in around her.

She had never liked the dark.

Her fear hit a new high when she heard footsteps. She wondered who her kidnapper was, but she was also terrified of who it might be.

What if it was someone she knew?

Donna's mouth went dry.

The footsteps grew louder and louder until the stopped. She listened as what sounded like a doorknob turned and a door opened, the hinges creaking loudly.

Bright light stunned Donna's eyes. She slammed them shut.

"Oh good, you're finally awake," a male voice spoke. It didn't sound familiar to her. It wasn't deep, but it wasn't too high. His voice was almost creepy sounding, but Donna didn't know if that was just how his voice was or if it was because he had kidnapped her.

Donna slowly opened her eyes, blinking the pain away. As her eyes adjusted, the man came into focus.

He was standing at full height, maybe 5'9 or 5'10, with scraggy brown hair that hung limply in an awkward attempt at a bowl cut. He wore some sort of blue worker's jumpsuit, like he worked for some kind of company or something. His face was heavy and when he smiled, as he was doing so, his cheeks puffed up.

Donna didn't recognize him at all.

Donna swallowed, trying to wet her mouth. "Who are you?" she croaked.

The man frowned. "You don't know me?" he asked.

Donna shook her head. He took an angry step towards her and Donna pushed back against the pole at her back.

"How could he not have told you about me? That's so rude!" he yelled.

Donna was confused. Who was he talking about?

The man turned his back to her, ranting and raving. He growled in frustration. Twirling, he turned back to Donna, his face contorted into an angry grimace.

"I can't believe Nick wouldn't tell his own sister about his best friend!" he screamed.

"Nick? You know my brother?" Donna looked at the ground, her eyes wide with fear. How could a friend of Nick's do this to her? To him?

"Yes, Nick and I are very close. I'm Nigel. Didn't he tell you about me?" the man asked as he moved closer to Donna.

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. She searched her brain but she couldn't remember Nick ever mentioning a man named Nigel. "I don't," Donna began to sob. "I don't know."

"Shh, don't cry. I'm not going to hurt you, Donna!"

Donna cocked her head. "You're not?"

He laughed. "Of course not! You're Nick's sister. I would never hurt Nick's sister. That practically makes you family!"

Donna almost laughed. "What am I doing here, then?" she asked.

Nigel kneeled in front of her. "Nick just needs to be reminded of who his real friends are. When he sees the truth, then you can go home. Go back to Killeen or whatever you want to do. Just do what I tell you and it'll all be ok."

Donna nodded. "If you let me talk to Nick, I bet I can help him," she almost begged. "Just let me talk to Nick and we can finish this now. Please, Nigel."

Nigel shook his head and stood up. "No. Thank you, but Nicky needs to see the truth from me. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll come to his senses soon." He turned away and began walking towards the door.

"Wait, Nigel!" Donna called out. Tears began to drip from her eyes and the panic welled up in her chest again. "Please, I'm hungry."

Nigel paused at the door and turned back to her. "You like your eggs sunny side up with white toast, right?" he asked.

Donna's jaw dropped. It had been him all along. She took a deep breath and nodded, forcing a small smile. "Right."

Nigel smiled a cruel smile, shut off the light and left the room, locking her in darkness once again with only the sound of her sobbing.

After spending much of the night combing Nick's apartment for evidence, Grissom brought Nick back to the lab. He marched him straight into the conference room and told him the rest of the lab was off limits unless Grissom or Catherine was with Nick.

Nick obeyed Grissom because as much as he wanted to help, he knew evidence found by Nick wouldn't be admissible in court. Nick had to stay away, even though he felt helpless. He wanted to do something, but there was nothing he could do. As Grissom told him, "if you want to help Donna, you've got to let us do our jobs."

So Nick took to pacing the conference room, walking back and forth and thinking about the past few days. Maybe there was something he missed that might help Griss and the team find Donna.

But he couldn't think of anything. All he knew was that Donna had been on edge lately. She flew instead of driving, which told Nick she might have been having a problem with a stalker or something.

Nick thought back to Nigel and how helpless he felt then. What was Donna feeling right now? Was she comfortable or was she bound and gagged?

Eventually, Nick fell into an uncomfortable sleep on the couch. He woke up at the sound of someone at the coffee machine.

Nick sat up quickly and looked over the back of the couch. Sara was pouring herself a cup of coffee, her face tired and worn.

"Any news?" Nick asked.

Sara looked over at him, her face grim. "We managed to get a couple of shoe prints off the carpet. There are a lot of fingerprints, probably all yours and Donnas, but we might get lucky. Some blood droplets, but it's probably Donnas. We won't know until later. It's not much, Nick," she told him sadly.

Nick frowned and nodded. "I know you guys are doing the best you can."

"We'll find her Nick, I promise."

Nick looked away from Sara and laid back down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "I just hope we find her in time."


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** One Eye Open

**Spoiler:** CSI up to season 3

**Summary:** It's been a year since Nick had a stalker. Nick's scary brush with death comes back in a terrifying manner when he finds out that his stalker has kidnapped his sister. Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab race against the clock to find Nick's sister before it's too late.

**Disclaimer:** I only own what you do not recognize. CSI Belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and all of those smart people who created these fine CSI series.

**My Note: **Here it is. Took a little longer than I had hoped due to my other writing commitments. But it's here. Only one more chapter to go!

**Chapter 4: Without End**

Nigel brought Donna breakfast, as he had promised. The eggs were cold, overcooked, and bland. But Donna dare not complain. If she wanted to get out of this, she had to be good. She had to stay alive.

He hadn't hurt her so far, besides hitting her in the head and taping her wrists too tightly. When she ate breakfast, Nigel fed her, refusing to take the tape off of her hands. He confirmed that her fingers were bleeding, but he did nothing to help her.

She was in pain, but she couldn't complain.

After breakfast, Nigel left her alone again for hours. She had to pee so badly, but he was still gone. Donna sat uncomfortably on the floor, trying not to think about how badly she needed the bathroom.

She tried to instead focus on Nick and on positive thinking. He would find her.

He had to.

Nick was uncomfortably aware of the hours ticking by. Each one that went by was one more with Donna in harms' way.

What if they were too late? What if Donna was already dead?

Nick was sitting on floor in the lounge, his back against one of the walls. He had his hands pressed against his face, his eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't think about it. He wouldn't.

Every time he tried to see what the team was up to, someone pushed him away. He knew he couldn't be involved, but it was getting harder to just sit back and let them do all the work.

The sun had come up a few hours ago, but Nick was still sitting in the lounge, waiting. He worried that Donna wasn't getting food. He worried that she was being tortured.

"Nick," Grissom's voice shook Nick out of his thoughts.

Nick clamored to his feet, watching Grissom's face expectantly. "What news, Gris?" he asked.

"We've got little evidence, but if we can find the kidnapper, we should be able to make something stick. But there's something you should know." His voice was filled with apprehension and sadness.

A lump was stuck in Nick's throat. He swallowed hard and tried to shake the fear.

"Is it Donna? Is she dead?"

Grissom frowned. "We don't know. What we do know is that Nigel Crane got out of jail a month ago. Good behavior," he said.

Nick stumbled back a step, his jaw slack. His heart sped up in panic. Nigel Crane. Anyone but him.

"Did he…Gris, did he go this?" he asked. Nick almost didn't want the answer. He always knew this was his fault, but to get confirmation…it was too much. Tears stung his eyes.

"We don't know for sure, but it's a possibility we have to explore. Nick, we'll find her."

Nick sat on the couch and put his head in his hands. Nigel had killed before. What would stop him from killing Donna?

Catherine was back at the crime scene with Warrick. Once she had heard that Nigel Crane had been released, she became certain that the man was behind this. He was obsessed with Nick, this had to be him.

"Crane liked to be in the attic space, right?" Warrick asked. He was standing at the top of a ladder they had set up in the pantry. There was a door to the attic and they were hoping to find some evidence up in the attic.

"Yes, he did. He watched Nick and ? from the attic. If this is him, there has got to be something up there," Catherine answered.

Warrick sighed and nodded. He pushed up on the cover and pushed it to the side. Warrick shined the flashlight up and stuck his head through the hole. He sighed in relief when there was no one up there. He put the flashlight in between his teeth and pulled himself up into the attic. He waited and took the kit from Catherine and then helped her through the hole.

Catherine flashed her light around, looking for any evidence. As they had in the original Nigel Crane case, there were marked holes in the floor of the attic. A sick feeling hit Catherine's stomach. She couldn't imagine how hard this must be for Nick and even more so for Donna.

Catherine and Warrick spent the next hour taking photos and labeling the evidence they found. There wasn't much, but they did find several hairs and fingerprints. Warrick even found some dirt.

They both hoped that what they found here would help find Donna.

The pair returned to the lab with their evidence and began processing what they found. Warrick took the dirt to trace, while Catherine took the hair to DNA, and Sara took charge of the fingerprints.

The minutes and hours ticked by slowly as the team waited for the evidence to come through for them. Sara sat with Nick in the lounge. She was trying to get him to eat, but he refused. He just wanted to find Donna.

Grissom was in his office, looking over the old Nigel Crane case file, hoping to find something that might help lead them to Donna.

"Anything in there?" Catherine asked. Grissom looked up. She was standing in the doorway with a cup of coffee.

Grissom frowned. "Nothing that seems like it will help. Has anything come back yet?"

Catherine shook her head. She walked into the office and sat down in a chair in front of Grissom. "Everything's still working. It's a waiting game unless we get an e-mail saying, hey, she's here!"

"It's never that easy when it counts, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"Hey, we got something," Sara said as she walked in with a file. Grissom sat up.

"What is it?"

"The dirt. It's apparently some sort of special mixture that is very rarely used here in Las Vegas. A company out of Canada makes it and sells it to only one store in the area. Vartann called over," she said as she handed Grissom the file. "They sent over the list of people who have bought it in the past six months. An apartment complex over in Henderson has bought several bags in the past month. They use it for their yards."

Catherine sat up and stared at Grissom. "She could be there somewhere," she said.

Grissom looked up and nodded. "I'll call Vartann, see what we can do." He moved to pick up his phone but paused. "Don't tell Nick. We don't need him running off."

Sara nodded.

Grissom picked up his phone and dialed Vartann.

Donna jerked awake. She had fallen asleep again. Her wrists were still bound behind her arms. She had tried to pull her arms underneath her, but her arms seemed to be too tightly bound behind her. Her shoulders ached from trying to move.

Nigel had bound her ankles with tape after she had tried to move around the room. He wanted her to stay in one spot. He kept promising he would work this out with Nick.

She was beginning to think he was just plain crazy and wasn't talking to Nick at all. She also wondered if he even really knew Nick.

Donna didn't know how long she had been down there. Sometimes it felt like minutes and other times he felt like hours.

Every few hours it seemed like Nigel would come to bring her food. Once he took her to the bathroom, but he had covered her eyes so she couldn't see. She couldn't hear anything where she was. There was a small window so she could see the sun shining through.

The longer she was kept in that room, the more panicked she became. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to be kept here forever. She had to get out.

But Nick would find her, wouldn't he? He had always talked about how good the team was. They would find her.

But what if they didn't? What if Nigel had left no evidence? She had to be a part of her rescue, didn't she? She had to do something to help them find her.

What could she do when she was taped up?

Donna looked around the room, searching for anything she could use to cut this tape off. She wasn't that resourceful of a person, but she had been kidnapped and this man could kill her at any time. She had to do something.

Donna's eyes swept over the room. It looked like Nigel had taken all of the sharp objects out of the room. Donna tried to shimmy to her left to turn, even just a little bit.

She turned her head to the left and that's when she saw it. A metal box with sharp edges.

Now she just had to get back there.

Donna turned back and began to scoot herself backwards, inch by inch. She tried to move as fast as she could, but her hands kept getting stuck under her butt. She didn't know when Nigel would be coming back and she needed to move. Finally, just when she thought she couldn't move anymore, she backed into the shelf with the box.

Using her feet to move around, Donna backed right up against the box. She could feel it with her fingers. Donna leaned forward and tried to pull her hands up. She found the corner of the box and began to rub the tape against the box. She sat there for what seemed like hours, just rubbing, but it didn't seem to be doing her any good. Then she heard a voice.

A male's voice.

Fear struck her heart and she began to sweat. If it was Nigel, he would catch her.

Donna pushed harder, rubbing even faster.

And then, the tape tore. Donna brought her arms up to her side and stared in surprise. She had done it.

The voice was getting closer. Donna crawled back to her original spot and put her arms behind her again. She prayed Nigel wouldn't look at her hands, otherwise she was caught.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to pretend to be asleep.

The door opened and Donna slowly opened her eyes. It was Nigel and he looked very unhappy. He closed the door behind him and began to wring his hands together.

"Something wrong?" Donna asked. She cringed immediately, knowing she shouldn't have said anything.

Nigel turned to look at her, surprised she was talking.

"Nick is being uncooperative," he said.

Donna narrowed her eyes. "Nick would do anything to get me back. I'm his sister!"

Nigel smirked and shrugged. "Guess you're just not that important." He began to walk towards her, putting his hands in his pocket. Donna watched him closely. He stopped in front of her and kneeled down. "Your brother isn't coming for you," he whispered.

Donna smirked back at him. "Then I'll just go to him."

Donna had never hit a person before in her life. Until now. She swung up with her right hand. Her fist slammed into Nigel's cheek. She watched it like it was in slow motion. Her knuckles slammed into his cheek and it rippled as his face swung to the right.

Nigel fell back and Donna leaned forward, grabbing him by the throat. She squeezed tightly with all of her strength.

It didn't take long for Nigel to begin fighting back. He slammed the palm of his hand into her nose causing Donna's head to snap back. Her eyes went wide as she slumped backwards. She had never been hit before.

It hurt.

Donna fell back as she saw stars in her eyes with Nigel on top of her. His hands wrapped around her throat and he began to squeeze.

She was so close to getting away. She was so close to getting out.

She couldn't give up, not now, not when she had come this close.

Donna looked to her side and saw a clay flower pot. She reached out for it and her fingertips just barely skimmed the rim. She tried to move closer, but Nigel had almost his full body weight over her. Her lungs were screaming for air. Donna reached up and jammed her thumb into Nigel's eye.

His screeches filled her ears. He moved off of her just enough for Donna to reach out and grab the lip of the pot. She picked it up and slammed it against Nigel's head.

The pot shattered, blood dripped down, and Nigel slumped over.

Donna grabbed a pot shard and sat up. She began cutting into the tape around her ankle. She kept glancing over at Nigel, who was rolling around on the floor. Quickly, the tape ripped and she tore it off her.

She began to stand up, but Nigel grabbed at her leg. Donna picked up a clay piece and swiped at his hand. Blood welled up as he pulled his arm back and screamed.

Donna turned and headed for the door as quickly as she could. She was close, so close.

She grabbed the door handle and pulled the door open.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** One Eye Open

**Spoiler:** CSI up to season 3

**Summary:** It's been a year since Nick had a stalker. Nick's scary brush with death comes back in a terrifying manner when he finds out that his stalker has kidnapped his sister. Nick and the Las Vegas Crime Lab race against the clock to find Nick's sister before it's too late.

**Disclaimer:** I only own what you do not recognize. CSI Belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and all of those smart people who created these fine CSI series.

**My Note: **Here is the final chapter! I've had fun doing this little story. Credit goes to ScarletMoonRanger for the initial idea. I will be returning to Lips of Pink soon, but I am doing NaNo so I will hopefully be busy with that. But I will definitely be returning to Lips of Pink before the end of the year. Thank you to everyone who read this!

**Chapter 5: Within Reach**

The door was open. Nick was on the other side, but he looked…wrong. His eyes were wide with fright and he was shaking like a leaf.

Donna stood rooted in her spot. What was wrong with her brother?

"He's coming. He's always there. He never leaves you. Never," he was whispering.

"Who Nick? Who?" Donna asked, her voice quaking with emotion.

Nick locked eyes with his sister. "Nigel!" he whispered.

And then the world went black.

When she woke up she was back in the basement. This time, she was tied up to a metal shelf. Nigel had wrapped a rope around her chest and the shelf, preventing her from moving at all. Her legs were also tied together.

She couldn't remember how she got here. She remembered opening the door and seeing the hallway. She was so close. And then she blacked out.

And now she was tied up again.

Nick was never going to find her.

Nigel was going to kill her.

This was how she was going to die: tied up and broken.

Donna cried as she sat there. All of the anger and hopelessness poured out of her in the form of salty tears. She cried until her sides hurt and then she cried some more.

When she was done crying, the room fell silent. Donna had no more tricks up her sleeve. If the CSIs couldn't find her soon, she was doomed.

Nick was getting antsy. He was still in the lounge, waiting. He had heard whispers of a possible building where Donna might be, but no one had come to him directly. He assumed they didn't want him to run off on his own. And they were right to not tell him. If given the chance, he would absolutely run off to find Donna. It had been more than a day since she was taken.

It had been too long.

Grissom had been watching Nick as closely as he could. They were waiting for a warrant before they could go to the apartment complex. Grissom knew Donna was running out of time, but if they went in before the warrant, they wouldn't be able to get any evidence and they wouldn't be able to put Crane behind bars.

Although putting him behind bars the first time didn't seem to do anything.

Grissom wanted to comfort Nick, but what could he say? The hope of finding Donna alive grew weaker with every hour that passed. Nick knew that.

They all knew that. But you couldn't push the evidence. Blood sampling took time; tracking down fertilizer purchases took time. Evidence took time.

As the sun came up, Grissom had readied himself to accept the worst: Donna was dead. There was no reason why Crane would keep her alive for so long, was there? Unless he was waiting for something, but what?

A knock on his door brought Grissom out of his thoughts. He looked up and found Det. Vartann waiting in the doorway.

"I got it," he said simply. Grissom's stomach dropped. This was it. They would go to the apartment and either they would find Donna or they wouldn't.

"Let's go."

They had brought Nick along, just in case they found Donna alive. However, Nick was forced to wait in the back of Grissom's SUV with an armed guard. Grissom couldn't risk Nick compromising the scene, in case…

In case she was dead.

Grissom and the other CSIs waited while Vartann and the cops issued the warrant to the landlord. The older man was shocked that they thought someone was being held on his land, but he didn't try to stop them. He couldn't, of course, but his cooperation was good.

The cops began searching and the CSIs were finally allowed onto the property to help search. Grissom and Catherine stuck with Vartann as they began to search the buildings. They started with any storage sheds or basements.

The apartment complex was made up of six different buildings, all filled with apartments. As they finished their search of the second building, Grissom began to wonder if she was there or if she ever had been.

The trio made their way into the basement of the third building. Each basement had six different rooms in the basements. Two were laundry rooms and the others were used for storage.

Grissom kept behind Vartann as they moved from room to room. Besides the sounds of the washers and dryers, it was quiet. Too quiet.

It unnerved Grissom.

The last door in the basement stood before them. Grissom had lost hope that they would find Donna. It would be another empty room. Another disappointment.

The hurt would be worse for Nick when they returned without Donna. Grissom didn't want Nick to lose his sister.

Vartann turned the doorknob and pulled, but the door was locked. He looked back at Grissom. None of the other rooms had been locked.

Grissom and Catherine backed up and waited as Vartann began kicking the door in. On the third kick, the door flew back.

Donna wriggled and wriggled, trying to get out of the ropes, but to no avail. She was well and truly stuck.

And then she heard a noise. Someone was trying to open the door. Donna began to panic. If it was Nigel again, he might actually kill her this time.

The rope burned her wrists and arms as she tried to pull out of it. She ignored the pain that hit her all over her body. She had to get out.

A loud thud shook her out of her thoughts. Did he forget the key? Why would he be hitting the door?

Donna's mouth went dry as her eyes focused on the door.

On the third try, the door sprang open with wood splintering off. Her jaw dropped as two familiar people entered the room.

This time, Donna wept for joy.

Nick was reunited with his sister outside of the apartment. They cried as they held onto each other, both almost unbelieving that they found one another again.

As she cried, Donna whispered the same words again and again, "I knew you'd find me."

It wasn't until she was on the way to the hospital with Nick at her side that she asked about Nigel. They hadn't found him.

He was still out there.

Donna felt like she was trapped in some horror movie. If he was still out there, he could still hurt her.

Donna was in the hospital for just a few days. During that time, Grissom had come to tell them that the cops found Nigel, dead. Even knowing he was dead, Donna still worried.

Nick was so apologetic. He spilled the truth of what had happened to him a year earlier. Donna couldn't believe it. She made him promise he wouldn't keep things like that from her anymore. They were family and family had to be honest with one another.

Donna couldn't go back to his apartment, as much as she tried. Every time she got close, she started to have a panic attack. So she got set up in a hotel. She needed to go back to Texas to go back to work, but she didn't know how she could possibly focus on work. She was still a mess.

She had nightmares and even during the day she had hallucinations. She kept seeing Nigel coming for her.

He may be dead, but he was still very much alive in her subconscious.

Nick had the same problem. He found it hard to sleep because he kept having nightmares about Donna being kidnapped again.

Eventually, Donna had to go home. She didn't want to go back to an empty house, but she couldn't stay in Las Vegas.

Before she left, Donna visited the Crime Lab to say goodbye. After saying goodbye, and thank you to Warrick, Catherine, and Sara, Donna found herself in Grissom's office. She sat in the chair in front of his desk quietly as he stared at her, a smile on his face.

"I really have to thank you for finding me," she told him.

Grissom nodded. "There's nothing to thank. In fact, it would be rude to thank me."

Donna narrowed her eyes in confusion. "How would it be rude? You saved my life."

Grissom frowned and took of his glasses. He gazed at Donna with such an odd expression. "Donna, you know we didn't save you."

Donna's heart began to beat quickly and her mouth went dry. "No. No, you saved me. You and Vartann and Catherine. You were there!"

Grissom shook his head and leaned back. "You're still dreaming and you know it. We never found you. How could we? We were never looking. Why should we?"

Donna stood up quickly, knocking over her chair. "No, no, no. You found me," she murmured over and over, her hands clasped over her ears.

"NO!" she screamed.

Donna jolted upright in her bed, screaming at the top of her lungs," you found me! You found me!" She screamed over and over until a nurse ran in her room.

She was alive. She was in the hospital. It was just a nightmare.

When Nick came to see her that day, she asked him again and again if Nigel was dead. He confirmed it as many times as she asked.

How could she ever get over this? How could she ever be normal again?

Nick was patient with her and he did his best to calm her down, but finally he called their parents. Donna was going to need someone to stay with her when she went back to Texas. As much as he wanted to, Nick couldn't go with her.

Once again, he sold his apartment and found somewhere new to live. It helped his own nightmares a little bit, but he was still wracked with guilt.

Their parents came, furious that they hadn't been told of her kidnapping, and took Donna home. They spoke with Nick and tried to calm him down.

Nick called his sister almost every day. She didn't return to school that year. How could she? She stayed in Dallas with their parents and when Nick got time off, he flew down to see her.

The first time he was able to visit her was six months later. He arrived at their parent's house and found her sitting on her bed. She greeted him with a smile and a hug.

"How are you, Donna?" he asked as he sat on the edge of her bed.

Donna shrugged. "It's getting easier. I keep having that dream though." Donna looked down at her hands in her lap.

"The one where Grissom tells you we never found you?"

"Yup. I don't wake up screaming anymore. I guess I've gotten to the point where I recognize it's a dream, but why Grissom? Why is it Grissom that tells me?" Donna looked up at her brother, confusion written across her face.

Nick shrugged. "Maybe because you know Grissom is straightforward and doesn't lie. Maybe your subconscious knows you can trust him."

Donna chuckled. "Don't tell him I dream about him. It'll make my next visit weird."

Nick laughed. "So you plan to visit again?"

Donna's smile fell off her face. "Of course, Nick. I've been knocked down, but I'm not out. With help, I'm getting better. I'll come back to Vegas and I'll work again and I'll be happy. It doesn't end like this."


End file.
